• dcal
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Topic: RME UCXII weird behaviour

Good morning,

Started while ago, after following and installing my UCXII updates, a strange behaviour happens when I have more than one opened applications which provide audio. For example: if I want to record audio from Youtube to Ableton Live then everything starts smooth at the beginning but, all of a sudden, after one minute and every couple of minutes, the audio goes crazy like looping itself and rising its volume. This issue last for few second and then disappears. The same happens if I have, for example, two audio software sequencers, like Native Instruments Maschine and Ableton Live opened at the same time, even if one of the two sequencers is not playing. This issue made the loopback feature impossible to use. I've tried to disable Loopback but the problem is still here.
I'm on Mac 10.15.7. My audio card drivers are 3.223 and firmware v43.

Did you experienced this kind of issues?
Any workaround?

Thank you!

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-01-20 13:33:45)

  • waedi
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

With Loopback one can easy create a feedback when monitoring is ON in the DAW, check routing in those apps.

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  • dcal
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

waedi wrote:

With Loopback one can easy create a feedback when monitoring is ON in the DAW, check routing in those apps.

Thank you waedi!
My problem is still present even if the monitoring is set to OFF (which is my default option when recording)
I was recording from youtube, ad the issue appeared again, few minutes ago

  • waedi
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

Is the interface selected as system audio device in MacOS system preferences ?
And in the DAW is the interface selected as audio device or the system-audio ?
I would change for testing.

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  • dcal
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

waedi wrote:

Is the interface selected as system audio device in MacOS system preferences ?
And in the DAW is the interface selected as audio device or the system-audio ?
I would change for testing.

Thank you waedi for your follow up

Is the interface selected as system audio device in MacOS system preferences ? Yes
And in the DAW is the interface selected as audio device or the system-audio ? Was set to Audio device. I tried to change it to system-audio, started a recording from youtube and after 30 seconds the issue appeared again

  • waedi
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

How about a Total Reset in Totalmix ?

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  • dcal
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

waedi wrote:

How about a Total Reset in Totalmix ?

Thank you waed!

Just tried the Total Reset (I didn't know it exists)

Still the same issue: it starts after one minute or so and last for 3/4 seconds then the audio get normal again and after 30 second and every 30/40 seconds it happens again

8 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-01-20 15:55:38)

  • waedi
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

You have only one Loopback active, right ?
During this issue, is this visible in Totalmix ?
Is the volumen visibly going up ? Where ? Software playback channel ?

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  • dcal
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

waedi wrote:

You have only one Loopback active, right ?
During this issue, is this visible in Totalmix ?
Is the volumen visibly going up ? Where ? Software playback channel ?

Hello waedi,
You have only one Loopback active, right ? Yes, or at least, I think so. I can select Loopback from the Analog 1/2 Control Room only on Totalmix
During this issue, is this visible in Totalmix ? Yes, Software playback 1/2 goes red
Is the volumen visibly going up ? Where ? Software playback channel ? Yes, It goes red on the 1/2 Software playback channel

10 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-01-20 20:51:38)

  • waedi
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

what is going on in the DAW ?
What plugins are active in that track ?
Totalmix does receive a too much signal from the DAW, there seems to be something going on with amplication, an amp sim with distortion ?
Or you simply overlooked a monitoring leak, the track is sending signal to another track where monitoring is ON, may be a reverb send track ?

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  • dcal
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

waedi wrote:

what is going on in the DAW ?
What plugins are active in that track ?
Totalmix does receive a too much signal from the DAW, there seems to be something going on with amplication, an amp sim with distortion ?
Or you simply overlooked a monitoring leak, the track is sending signal to another track where monitoring is ON, may be a reverb send track ?

None of these, waedi.
In the meantime, I've found the option to check if others Hardware Outputs had the Loopback active and they weren't.

Let me put in this way:
1. I open Live with just one empty audio track.
2. I select the input 1/2 from the UCX
3. I enable Loopback from the main output of the Totalmix
4. I play a video from Youtube
5. Audio is ok, meters are ok on software playback (Analog 1/2) - Audio is ok on the Live track - No distortions
6. After a while, let's say around 30/60 seconds, audio goes crazy, like when there's an overload in the CPU during a play session of the sequencer, but the CPU load on Live is extremely low when you just open the DAW and arm only one Channel, and my CPU doesn't spike when this issue happens.
7. After 4/5 second audio stop being crazy and play smooth again for others 1/2 minutes, then crazy again for others 4/5 seconds
8. I didn't have any issues when I first got the UCX. Along the years I've always updated the firmware of the RME and I've also updated the operating system on the Mac. This issue begun at a certain point , probably after a Mac OS update or after a firmware update on the card.
9. I also have a Mac Mini with an M1 processor and the totalmix setting is literally copied from the MacBook, and it's issue free: I have the same version of Live in both the computers and the same setting on the Totalmix. One computer has the issue (Macbook i7 with 10.15.7) and the other hasn't (Mac Mini M1 OS 13)

  • waedi
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

What you describe is exactly a feedback loop. It has nothing to do with CPU but routing.
Ableton by default has two send effect tracks A reverb B delay.
You have to mute both !

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  • dcal
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

waedi wrote:

What you describe is exactly a feedback loop. It has nothing to do with CPU but routing. I know it has nothing to do with the CPU, I was just trying to describe the audio behaviour and you're right: it look like a feedback loop with the difference that it seems to happen every 1/2 minutes for a short period of time.

Ableton by default has two send effect tracks A reverb B delay. I know, I've been using Live for almost 15 years and I've changed my default setting when opening Live with only one midi and one audio track (without returns track) so there are no return tracks (I usually add them when needed)
You have to mute both !

As you can read above, there's nothing to mute.
By the way, on the Mac Mini I have the two returns track as default (Reverb and delay) unmuted but, logically, no audio passes thru them if I don't send audio from the track I'm listening from smile

14 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-01-20 22:54:59)

  • waedi
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

Thats not always true, also without sending signal to the effect there can be a signal flow on the noise-floor level wich accumulate over time and becomes this issue.
The effect plugin can be switched off, the track itself can be switched off. I would try.
Also for a test you can select another main output channel in Ableton, let's say output 5/6 instead of output 1/2, let's see if the issue still is on playback channels 1/2 in Totalmix. I guess it moves to 5/6 and confirms the issue is made by Ableton.
Or shut down Ableton for a test. Is the issue still there ?

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15 Reply by dcal (edited by dcal 2024-01-20 23:11:16)

  • dcal
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Re: RME UCXII weird behaviour

waedi wrote:

Thats not always true, Also without sending signal to the effect there can be a signal flow on the noise-floor level wich accumulate over time and becomes this issue.
the effect plugin can be switched off, the track itself can be switched off. I would try.

My default project has no plugins do deactivate because there are no plugins as default (and no return tracks)

I have them on the other computer, the Mac Mini, with no issue there

Also for a test you can select another main output channel in Ableton, let's say output 5/6 instead of output 1/2, let's see if the issue still is on playback channels 1/2 in Totalmix. I guess it moves to 5/6 and confirms the issue is made by Ableton.
Or shut down Ableton for a test. Is the issue still there ?

It happens only when I use Live opened (1 audio track, 1 midi track, 1 master) along with other applications that require audio from the UCX drivers.
The only reason I'm using Loopback is to record audio from the computer to Live. When I don't use Live everything is okay.

It could be also the latest version of Live...I don't recall when it started, but probably after one updated version of the Mac OS or Live or UCX firmware... maybe 6 months ago. I've been using the UCX for 3/4 years now. This issue started only from the middle of the last year.

Anyway, thank you for your support,
I will do some researches and I will use the Mac mini when I need to record into Live with the loopback since this computer has no issues with this feature.